So does Doctor Who (2000s) – 711 stack up? It is very rare to see such a consensus but we have it here for this outrageous horror comedy.

If your have not watched the episode yet we suggest you don’t read the full reviews yet!

Two of the cast are particularly notable, Diana Rigg and her daughter Rachael Stirling acting together for the first time!.

On the story side, I still can’t get over the shock of the reveal of Mr Sweet…

The Mirror (UK) Doctor Who (2000s) – 711 review

As for the uniqueness, well, that came from the style. There were some nods to Steampunk (which is always classy) and a wonderful section presented in grainy and twitching sepia tones, as the Doctor explains how he became ensnared by the titular horror. It makes things more alive and engaging, telling the story in a slightly different way and moving seamlessly from the creepy to the camp. A big thumbs up then, to Saul Matzstein, the episode’s director.

Daily Telegraph (UK) Doctor Who (2000s) – 711 review

Of course, this rich, Grand Guignol story would have been nothing without the heavyweight presence of Rigg, and she embraced the general madness with gusto, making Mrs Gillyflower sinister, sarcastic and rather sad. However, the standout performance came from Rigg’s daughter Rachael Stirling, playing Mrs Gillyflower’s misused daughter Ada, blinded by her mother as an experiment.

The Guardian (UK) Doctor Who (2000s) – 711 review

Mark Gatiss’s second episode of this series mashed up period drama, comedy farce, Sherlock Holmes and gothic horror. Some early reviewers have complained that it was inconsistent, but this episode was as demented and creepy as the show should always be.

Radio Times (UK tv listing magazine) Doctor Who (2000s) – 711 review

Perhaps more than any other episode he’s written, this is the most full-on Gatissian. (Have I just coined a new term?) This is a man steeped in Victorian literature, horror movies, black comedy… and here he’s piped it into Doctor Who, adding more than a dash of The Avengers.